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Article

27 Jul 2026

Author:
World Benchmarking Alliance

EU: World Benchmarking Alliance publishes submission to consultation on CSDDD implementation guidelines

"WBA's response to the consultation on the CSDDD implementation guidelines", 27 July 2026

The World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA) welcomes the European Commission’s consultation on the implementation guidelines for the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. Clear and practical guidance will be essential to support consistent implementation and give companies and stakeholders greater clarity on what credible human rights and environmental due diligence requires in practice.

WBA’s benchmark evidence shows that while many companies disclose policies, commitments and supplier expectations, far fewer demonstrate how these are translated into implementation, action and measurable outcomes. In WBA’s 2026 Social Benchmark, about 95% of the world’s leading companies are still less than halfway to meeting core social expectations, showing the scale of the implementation gap. At the same time, all companies in the global top 1% are based in Europe, demonstrating the important role European policy and market expectations can play in shaping stronger corporate practice.

The guidelines are therefore an important opportunity to clarify the practical evidence companies should provide to show that due diligence is identifying risks, changing business practices, engaging affected stakeholders, tracking effectiveness and contributing to remedy where harm occurs. To support this, WBA highlights four priority areas where further guidance would be particularly valuable: human rights due diligence and remedy, living wage, responsible purchasing practices, and meaningful stakeholder engagement.

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